Surprise, Megyn Kelly has made yet another racial comment on her talk show, “Megyn Kelly Today.” Her show on NBC was cancelled for her comments regarding how wearing blackface for Halloween should not be considered racist. This came from the white, female journalist who has made numerous racial and biased remarks in the past. Kelly has made comments on past shows that Jesus and Santa Claus were white men; just to name a few instances. Someone wearing blackface for any occasion is an act most human beings know is disrespectful, dehumanizing and degrading. Kelly has never been the epitome of a respectful human being, yet alone a respectable journalist; so the fact she made such a remark is far from startling.
In the episode, Kelly said, “What is racist? You do get in trouble if you are a white person who puts on blackface on Halloween, or a black person who puts on whiteface for Halloween. When I was a kid, it was OK as long as you were dressing up as a character.”
It may have been considered “OK” in your family growing up, Kelly, but for the rest of America it is considered highly contemptuous. Kelly needs to remember she is a public figure and her actions will induce a public reaction. Her time on the air has been cut short, but the effects of her words and actions are engraved in her viewers minds. A journalist should be able to express their views, but be respectable about it. Kelly lacks the journalistic expectations that the nation strives to live by.
Despite her tearful and phony apology the day after her “blackface” episode aired, NBC decided to cancel her show. Kelly’s apology came from a place of fear rather than true remorse. She sees dollar signs where most see moral values. Kelly does not consider the feelings and thoughts of anyone who is a different race or has an opinion that differs from hers. The only individuals sitting at the table with her in this episode were white, which shows she has not come to terms with her racial viewpoints. Kelly didn’t think there would be any backlash to her comments.
Although her show has been cancelled, she should have never been hired to begin with. Kelly is the poster child of bias and ignorance and deserves no air time. NBC hired Kelly with a $69 million contract, money she has been allowed to keep despite the show being cancelled. Despite her history of racial comments, the blackface controversy was finally newsworthy enough to have a consequence. The history of blackface is long and convoluted. It is deeply rooted in American history and culture. It is a representation of hate and ridicule and has been used as such for hundreds of years. It has been used in performances by white individuals since the 1800s and it is much more than just applying makeup. It is mocking our nation’s African-American citizens and is a definite form of racism.
Kelly bluntly defended blackface, and her last day on “Megyn Kelly Today” was Wednesday, Oct. 24, a day after her racial remarks aired. Kelly should receive no further airtime from any television network in Hollywood. The support of racism and hatred should never be accepted in our nation. NBC made the correct decision in firing Kelly, although her payout should have never been approved as she deserves not even a dollar. In America today, there should be no place for ignorance. As a nation, we need to stand together against hate, and as a journalist, Kelly needs to make a stand for equality. She has used her platform to promote hatred and racism, as if being ignorant and uninformed is a common personality trait in her book. Her show created a toxic atmosphere for viewers and it’s about time NBC cancelled her.
In her next career, if she has one, Kelly should use this situation to educate herself on the history behind racial issues many Americans face today and take a stand with the American people to end racism and hate in the nation and around the world. As a journalist, there is never room to spread animosity; our stance as informers should be to show all the positivity there is in the world. SF State Journalism prides ourselves and truth telling and respecting others, maybe Kelly should take some classes on how to be a decent human being, rather than a racist one.
